A Wooden Box of Chaos
by mattTheWriter072
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Michael Foster is invited to his best friend Jason's birthday party on October 31, 2015, and while shopping for his birthday present, he comes across a derelict pawn shop, where he finds a board game and buys it for Jason. When Jason begins to play the game with Michael and two of his other friends, the party quickly turns to chaos. (Based on the 1995 version)
1. A Not-So-Normal Friday

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Jumanji franchise or any characters associated with the franchise. All rights belong to Chris Van Allsburg, Joe Johnston, and Interscope Communications. This is not my intellectual property, and no financial gain is made from this nor will be sought. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Chapter 1 - A Not-So-Normal Friday

 _"In the darkest reaches of space,_

 _A lone planet comes into view._

 _Mysteries abound, nothing is known,_

 _About this strange new world."_

Those were the opening lyrics to a song that was being composed by a tenth-grade student at Emberville Collegiate. The student's name was Michael Foster, and he was sitting in front of a grand piano in Practice Room Five. The bright sunlight that shone into the room reflected off of the piano's glossy black finish, and Michael could clearly see the mirror image of his face staring back at him. He casually brushed his short, brown hair to the side and adjusted his blue-framed glasses before placing his hands on the keys. They felt as smooth as glass beneath his fingers, and he began to softly play the underlying piano melody that accompanied the song's lyrics, while reading the sheet music that he wrote by himself on his iPad.

His focus was suddenly interrupted by someone lightly knocking on the door. The door swung open a few seconds later, and Michael turned his head to see who was there.

A fifteen-year-old boy stood in the open doorway. He had shoulder-length brown hair, green eyes, and a muscular build. He wore a Judas Priest T-shirt, along with faded blue jeans and black sneakers. It was Michael's best friend, Jason Hill. He slowly walked into the room and sat down on a nearby chair.

"What is it, Jason?" Michael asked him.

"Well, I was just wanting to see what you were up to," Jason replied. "I know you're on your spare period, and I figured you'd be here, as usual." He looked at the sheet music on Michael's iPad. "Are you writing a song?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Michael said with a smile. "It's called 'Planet X', and it will be over fifteen minutes long."

"Oh my gosh!" Jason blurted loudly, and he stood up from the chair almost as fast as one can blink. "I'm not sure who would even have the patience to listen to anything of that length!"

Michael told him, "People who listen to bands like Dream Theater, Rush, and Genesis will happily listen to long songs like this. Don't forget, I also write shorter songs as well, if you want something that's a bit more concise."

"Oh, okay," Jason said with a hint of a smile. "Well, I'll just let you carry on with your composition. We can talk later. Besides, I have to be at my English class in three minutes."

"Is it that time already?" Michael asked. Jason didn't need to answer, since Michael was glancing at his watch. The display read 10:57 AM. "Crap! I need to get going as well! Math is my next class."

Jason hastily waved goodbye to Michael before sprinting down the hallway, leaving him alone in the room. Michael shoved his iPad into his backpack, closed the piano's lid, and ran down the hallway in the same direction that Jason was heading.

He rushed from corridor to corridor, weaving his way in and out of hundreds of students who were walking in each and every direction. After ascending two flights of stairs, he darted down a shorter hallway, and he stopped in front of the fourth door to the left. It was a frosted glass door, and beside it was a brass plaque which displayed the room's number, 219. No one else had showed up yet, much to his surprise.

"Hmm," Michael said to himself. "Math is my favorite class, but I've never been the first one to reach the door until now. The others are all gonna be late, I know it."

As soon as the numbers on his watch changed from 10:59 to 11:00, the door swung open, revealing a nearly empty classroom with five rows of long tables. Other than Michael, the only person who was present was his math teacher, Mrs. Scheffer. She was a skinny, middle-aged woman with long, silver hair and thick-rimmed glasses that nearly covered half of her face. She wore a light-blue golf shirt, tan jeans, and black high-heeled shoes.

"Ah, I'm glad you made it in time," she said in a quiet but sincere tone. "I hope you're ready for today's lesson."

"I always am, Mrs. Scheffer," Michael said reassuringly as he adjusted his glasses. He took his seat at the frontmost table, and slowly but surely, more students trickled in until all twenty-nine were present.

"Sorry we're late," one of the students near the back of the room apologized as he sat down. "This one person in the hallway was—"

"'Sorry' won't cut it for me, Sam," Mrs. Scheffer said sternly. "Please don't make any more excuses like that again. Now, class, today we will focus on solving first-degree algebraic equations involving one variable, including equations with fractional coefficients."

Michael grinned in excitement as Mrs. Scheffer switched on an overhead projector, and she tapped the screen of her iPad a few times to make it sync to the projector. As she spoke, she began writing her notes on the iPad with a special pen, and they appeared on the whiteboard in front of the class.

After her brief lecture, she grabbed a stack of papers in her hand, and she walked around the room, handing a worksheet to each student. The stack gradually became smaller and smaller, and Michael received the last worksheet. On it were a series of algebraic equations, and Michael instantly tackled the first equation. Just twenty minutes later, he had finished the entire worksheet.

"I'm done," he told Mrs. Scheffer, who promptly took the completed worksheet from him. Meanwhile, everyone else was nowhere near done with their work.

"I'm not surprised," she mumbled as she grabbed a red pen, checking his answers. A few other people managed to hand in their worksheets before the bell rang to signal the end of the period.

"You did a great job, Michael," she said as he was about to leave the room with everyone else. She handed the worksheet to him, and an "A+" was written in red ink near the top right-hand corner.

"Thank you so much," Michael replied, stuffing the sheet into his backpack. "Have a great weekend, Mrs. Scheffer!" He waved goodbye to her and ran back into the hallway, which was once again packed with students.

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. During the lunch period, Michael sat alone in the cafeteria and played video games on his PSP. In English, he was working on a book report of "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley since he loved to read dystopian novels. His day ended with a double-period metalworking class, where he learned how to properly and safely use an arc welder to weld two pieces of steel blocks together.

Once school was over, Michael promptly left the building to begin heading home, which only consisted of a fifteen-minute walk. His route normally led him down a long, residential street with large, modern homes on either side, but this time, he decided to take a different path, which stretched past a long strip mall with dozens of shops. As he turned onto this path, he felt a series of vibrations in his pocket, along with a very loud ringtone reminiscent of an old-fashioned phone from the 1950's. He took out his iPhone and swiped a finger across the screen.

"Hello, it's Mom," a female voice greeted. "How are you, honey? How was school?"

"I'm great, Mom, thanks," Michael replied. "As for school, I just have my book report to continue working on, and as usual, math was excellent. We did some more algebra, and you can probably guess how I did on my assignment."

"You passed," his mother assumed.

"I didn't _just_ pass," Michael boasted. "I passed with flying colors. I got an A-plus."

"Great job, as always," she congratulated him. "I'm proud of you. Well, I actually called to let you know that your dad and I won't be home until two in the morning, since we have a special event to attend."

"What kind of event?" Michael inquired, his curiosity starting to grow. He was surprised that she had never told him about any kind of upcoming event recently.

"Well, one of your dad's closest coworkers is having his wedding ceremony tonight," she said, "and we are excited to go."

"Congratulations," Michael responded. "Make sure you tell the groom that I said that."

"I will," his mother said. "Have a great evening, Michael. There's a sushi platter in the fridge if you wish to have some of it."

"Oooh, I love sushi!" Michael said, rubbing his chest. "Thank you so much. I'll see you tomorrow morning, I guess. I love you, Mom. Good bye." He tapped the "End Call" button to end the conversation.

He put his iPhone in his pocket and took a moment to observe the area around him. Cars, trucks, vans, buses, and bicycles were steadily moving along the street in both directions, and just as he began to walk past a liquor store in the long, narrow strip mall, his phone emitted a short chime. He stopped walking and pulled the device back out of his pocket to check what he had received. It was a text message from Jason.

 _Hey, sorry about the short notice (because as you know, I'm terrible at planning social events), but I'm just reminding you that it's my 16th birthday tomorrow! Since it also happens to be on Halloween, feel free to dress up in whatever kind of costume you want. The party will be held at my place, 6 Stone Rd, at 6:30 PM. Please RSVP, and I hope to see you there tomorrow! :D_

"Oh, no," Michael whispered to himself, as a feeling of worry took over him. "I don't know what to get him for a birthday present, and the party is tomorrow! I need to think of something fast. Maybe since I'm here, I could investigate some of the stores to find something to buy for him."

The first few stores were a women's clothing shop, a jewelry store, and a hardware store. Michael walked right past them, knowing that nothing in any of those stores would be of interest to Jason.

He soon came across a store that was named "Cash For Gold". The front door certainly looked like it had seen better days, since a sizable portion of the red paint had been peeled off, revealing several spots of brown rust. Judging by the prices on some of the items that could be seen through the store's large windows, he assumed the place was a pawn shop.

"Nope, I'm certainly _not_ buying anything from there, since it looks rather sketchy," he muttered, turning his head away from the window that he was looking through. He was about to continue walking home when he heard a faint noise.

 _Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump._

"Sounds like...drums," Michael said, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. He caught sight of a bright-red Ferrari as it sped down the road with its sound system cranked to the max. "Forget it. It's probably just that person's music." His gaze followed the car as it stopped in front of a red traffic light, and when the light turned green, the car's engine roared loudly as it sped off into the distance. The sound of the turbocharged engine eventually faded away, but the faint sound of drums still pervaded the air as if the car had never left in the first place.

"Am I hallucinating or something?" Michael asked himself in confusion. The drumming noise was starting to give him the creeps, and he began to feel as if he had walked onto the set of a horror movie. What's even worse was that it seemed to be coming from inside the derelict pawn shop.

Desperate to locate the source of the sound, Michael steeled himself and entered the shop. The door creaked loudly on its rusty hinges as he slowly opened it, and it creaked again when he closed it. The store was filled from wall to wall with various items, including old TV's, used clothing, comic books, antique furniture, and a rack of china tableware. The air inside the shop was rather stuffy, and it reeked of cigarette smoke.

A frail man who had to have been in his early eighties was walking around the shop with a vacuum cleaner, sucking up a thin layer of dust that covered nearly every square foot of the floor. There was no one else in the store except for him.

Suddenly, much to Michael's surprise, the drumming stopped as if someone had pressed the pause button on a stereo. The man turned off the vacuum and hobbled towards Michael, stopping just two feet in front of him.

"May I help you, sir?" he asked in a croaky voice.

"I...I thought I heard a drumming sound," Michael nervously replied, "and I had a feeling it was coming from your store, so that's why I stopped by to investigate."

"I don't know what you're talking about, boy," the shopkeeper said to him. "I can hardly hear nothing anymore, yeh know. I'm very old, and I only have about nine or ten customers who stop by on a good day. There are even days where I don't have any at all, so it's just me, standing alone in this place. I'm sad to say, but my store will be closing for good very soon, due to low sales and revenue."

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Michael responded, but the man immediately pointed a bony finger at his face.

"Don't feel sorry for me, please," he told him. "As I said, I'm old. I've been working here for over forty years. When the previous owner passed away a decade ago, he put me in charge, and that's how it's been to this very day. It's about time that I move on as well."

 _Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump._

"There!" Michael exclaimed as the sound of African drums filled the air once again. "Don't you hear those drums?" The man shook his head, and he looked at Michael as if he was going insane.

The drumming grew louder and louder, and before long, the beats were so loud that he clamped his hands to his ears, but it was all in vain. He looked at the man to see that he was yelling at him, but he couldn't make out a single word. He might as well have been watching one of those old silent movies, but with skull-shattering drumbeats to accompany the scene. Finally, the man grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something on it. He showed it to Michael: PLEASE LEAD ME TO WHERE THIS SOUND IS COMING FROM.

Michael nearly stumbled as he began to lead the shopkeeper towards the back of the store. They carefully navigated around a case of glass ornaments, and before long, Michael spotted a relatively large cardboard box that was sitting on a dust-covered metal shelf, right beside the door which led to the "employees only" section of the store. The drumming stopped as quickly as it started, and he sighed in relief.

"The drums are gone now," Michael told him. He pointed to the box. "I have a feeling they're coming from inside there."

Michael picked up the box, which was about as heavy as he was expecting it to be from its size. The flaps were sealed with a wide ribbon of clear tape. He rotated the box in his hands, and he noticed a small, white sticker on one side of the box, which was accompanied by a barcode. The sticker read, "Jumanji - A Mysterious Board Game", and the price was just $4.99.

"Ah, I see that you've found a most interesting artifact," the shopkeeper spoke. "I forgot that it was in my shop."

Michael was about to say, "Well, clearly you need to keep better track of your own store's inventory," but he kept it to himself.

" _Now_ I understand what you're talking about," the shopkeeper said, and a smile began to creep across his face. "This game has a little story behind it. Nineteen years ago, in 1996, two girls from Montreal were on vacation here, and they found this board game half-buried in the sand on a nearby beach. They also said they heard drumbeats as they approached it, so that means you weren't the only one. They chose not to play it for some reason, so they dropped it off at my shop. We bought it in exchange for a rather large amount of cash, expecting it to sell quickly as a collector's item, but none of our customers wanted to purchase the game. Therefore, it has been sitting here ever since those girls dropped it off, and its value has depreciated over time, hence the reason the game is so cheap now."

"So no one wanted to buy it?" Michael asked, and the man slowly shook his head.

"No one wanted to buy it," he replied, and his voice showed more enthusiasm as he continued to speak. "Over the years, some children claimed to have heard drumbeats coming from this store, but of course, I never believed them, and their parents didn't let them attempt to find out where the sound was coming from, since they didn't believe their children either."

"So you're saying that adults can't hear the drums, but children can?" Michael questioned.

"Apparently that's the truth," the shopkeeper said, looking away. "So, what do you want to do? Would you like to buy it? If so, I'll cut you some slack and let you buy it outright. No haggling is required this time, since I just want this item to be gone from my store. I just feel so relieved that someone is finally willing to buy the game after all these years, so if you decide to purchase the game, you'll be taking a hell of a burden off my shoulders."

"Well, I'm stuck on what to get my best friend for his birthday," Michael admitted, "and I don't see any harm in buying him a simple board game, even if it is a little on the mysterious side. We spend lots of time playing video games together, so I want to change things up a little bit." He walked over to the counter where the cash register was located, and he placed the box onto it before removing his wallet from his back pocket. He dug a five-dollar bill out of the wallet and handed it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper carefully put the box into a white plastic bag and gave it to Michael.

"Have a good night," the shopkeeper said, feebly waving his hand as Michael walked towards the door.

"You too." Michael waved back before exiting the store. Now that he had finally purchased a birthday present for Jason, Michael continued his journey home. Once he got there several minutes later, he unlocked the door and walked inside. True to his mother's word, the place was completely empty and silent. He was alone.

Michael took his shoes off and ran towards the kitchen, and he put the plastic bag onto the floor. He lifted the box out of the bag, and he slashed the tape apart with a paring knife. His heart was pounding like a jackhammer as he opened the flaps and looked inside the box, which was full of styrofoam. He laid the box horizontally on the floor before removing the styrofoam, only to find another box inside. This one was made of darkly-stained wood. He carried the wooden box to the dining room and carefully set it down onto the table.

The top of the box was emblazoned with an intricate design that was made with a lot of care and craftsmanship. Nearly the entire bottom half of the design was covered with ferns, and the top half consisted of a mountain range, and one of the peaks was emitting a thick stream of smoke, as if it was going to erupt any second. In each corner, there was an egg-shaped circle that framed a portrait of either an animal or a human. The top left circle was occupied by a person who wore a pith helmet. To his right was a monkey, and its long tail was curled up behind it. On the bottom right-hand corner, a menacing elephant could be seen, with one of its tusks clearly visible in front of its trunk. Lastly, on the bottom-left, there was a rhino with its single horn proudly pointing upwards. In the very center, a spear ran through the middle of a single word: "JUMANJI".

"I can't believe I bought this game for so cheap," Michael said as he ran his hand over the design, feeling each and every contour, bump, and indentation. With a click, he opened the lid, and it flipped over to one side of the board. He then realized that there were actually two separate lids, and he opened the other one, which flipped over to the other side, revealing the game's playing surface in its entirety. There were four paths made from white stone tiles, and they crisscrossed over each other in a serpentine fashion. Each path started at one of the board's four corners, and all four paths led towards the center of the board, which featured a black crystal orb.

The inside of both lids had large text printed on them, but Michael decided not to take the time to read it yet. Without saying a single word, he closed the box and took it downstairs to the utility room in the basement, where he found a drawer with several rolls of wrapping paper. He chose a roll of black paper that had the words "Happy Birthday" written on it, complete with colorful pictures of balloons and streamers. He placed Jumanji into an oversized shoebox and wrapped it up, and then he made a simple birthday card to accompany it.

"Well, that was quite a day," Michael said a few minutes later as he took the sushi platter out of the fridge, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he reflected on the day's events. "School went well, I got an excellent score on my math assignment, I got a start on composing my new song, and I bought Jason his, uh, birthday present. Something tells me that the party tomorrow will be rather...extraordinary." He grabbed a piece of sushi with salmon inside and took a tiny bite, and then another, allowing himself plenty of time to savor its taste until it was finally gone.

He briefly washed his hands and grabbed a blue envelope from one of the cabinets. He slid Jason's birthday card into the envelope and sealed it shut before writing a simple "Happy Birthday" message on the front of it. He placed the envelope on top of Jason's present before helping himself to another piece of sushi. The platter was half-empty by the time he decided to finish, and he put it back into the fridge for his parents to finish the other half.

For the next two hours, Michael played _Grand Theft Auto V_ on his PlayStation 4, but even while preoccupied by the mission he was currently on, he couldn't help but worry that he made the wrong purchase.

"It was only five dollars," Michael told himself in an attempt to shrug his worries off. "If there are any problems with this game, I'm certain that Jason will let me send it to someone else who would like to have it. If I—" His sentence was suddenly interrupted by the sound of his iPhone ringing once again. The display read, "Jason Hill would like FaceTime..."

About three seconds after accepting the call, Jason's face appeared on the screen. He was sitting in an armchair in his bedroom, wearing pajamas and eating from a large bag of Doritos.

"Hello, Mike," Jason drawled. "Did you get my text from earlier?"

"Yes," Michael answered, "and I'm sorry I haven't replied yet."

"That's okay," Jason said, smiling. "So, are you coming to the party?"

"Of course I am!"

"What will you be wearing?" Jason asked him.

Michael thought about it for a few seconds before making his decision. "I want to go as a rock star again."

"But you dressed up as one last year!" Jason cried. "Come on, buddy, wear something different this time!" Michael sighed and shook his head.

"Listen," Michael told him. "I'm getting tired, and I don't want to rush myself with putting together a new costume. I hope you understand."

Jason popped another chip into his mouth and bit into it with a loud crunch. "No worries, my friend. I do understand. Thanks for letting me know that you're coming to my party, and I'll see you at 6:30 tomorrow evening! Smell ya later!" Michael chuckled in response, and he gave his best friend a thumbs-up before ending the call.

"Well, I guess it's about time that I go to bed," he muttered as he ended his game and shut down the PS4. He ran to his bedroom, which was located just off to the side of the basement stairs. The room was a mess. The bedsheets were haphazardly draped over one side of his double bed, a heap of clothes were on the floor near his dresser, and his desk was cluttered with more than a dozen old receipts from fast-food restaurants and convenience stores.

Michael quickly changed into his pajamas, and he didn't bother to brush his teeth before turning off the lights and climbing into bed. Once he laid down, he adjusted the bedsheets so that they were in a relatively comfortable position, and after removing his glasses, he closed his eyes, propping his head sideways on the pillow. Before long, he was sound asleep. He dreamt that he was watching Jason unwrap his birthday present, and a vicious thunderstorm suddenly began to take over the sky. A torrential downpour soaked the neighborhood, and dazzling bolts of lightning lit up the atmosphere, but instead of hearing thunder, Michael heard the pounding of Jumanji's drums.

 **Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my story! I was trying my very best to describe the day's events just enough to introduce you to Michael and how he came across Jumanji, but I didn't want to go into too much detail about the mundane aspects of the day, because that would have made for a very boring chapter. Rest assured, the next chapter will be a lot more interesting, so stay tuned! :)**


	2. Jason's Party

Chapter 2 - Jason's Party

 **Author's note: Hi, readers! I'm back with the second chapter! Before we begin, it's time to respond to your reviews:**

 **dragonserpent18, I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far. As for what's next, you'll find out very shortly! :)**

 **Guest, that's exactly what I intended to do when I described the pawn shop. They will begin playing Jumanji right at the end of the chapter. Now, on with the story!**

Michael got up relatively late the next morning. Once he finished dressing and grooming himself, he went upstairs to have breakfast with his parents.

"Good morning, everyone!" Michael exclaimed as he entered the dining room, where his mother and father were waiting for him. Michael's mother had her brown hair in a ponytail, and her gold-rimmed glasses were seemingly perched on the end of her nose, looking as if they could fall off at any moment. The rest of her wardrobe consisted of a red golf shirt and tan pants. His father had black hair which was styled in a pompadour, and he wore a grey plaid shirt and black pants.

A large heap of pancakes were stacked on a plate at the center of the table. "Thank you so much for making pancakes today," Michael added. "I've been craving them for the last two weeks."

"Well, you could have made some for yourself during all that time," his father said, "but we're okay with making breakfast for everyone on weekends. How was your afternoon, son?"

"Pretty good," Michael replied, shrugging his shoulders before he took a pancake with a pair of tongs and dropped it on his plate. "Just after I talked to Mom on the phone, Jason texted me and invited me to his birthday today, which will be at at 6:30 this evening."

"That's wonderful," his mother said. "I'm so happy to know that you're spending more time with your best friend. High school can be stressful, so it's always good to go out and socialize with other people your age every once in a while. Are you all ready for it? Do you have everything you need?"

"Yuppers!" Michael said in an excited tone. "I already bought him a present, and I made a card to go with it. Since today is Halloween, he also suggested that I wear a costume to the party. For the sake of time, I think I'll just dress up as a rock star again."

"Well, what's the problem with that?" his father asked as he took another pancake from the heap. "I thought it was a great costume. However, since you're going to someone else's house, I strongly suggest that you don't bring my guitar this time, because I paid almost two-thousand dollars for it, and the last thing I want is for my baby to get damaged, even if it's just a tiny scratch."

"So then what can I do?" Michael asked, and his father immediately stood up from the table.

"Come with me." He led Michael into the garage and took a large, thick sheet of cardboard from a storage rack. He used a table saw to slice the sheet in half, just enough for Michael to cut out the shape of a life-size Fender Stratocaster with a band saw. Michael painted the body of the guitar bright-red while leaving the neck as it was, and he drew the strings, frets, pickups, bridge, and volume knobs onto the guitar with a black marker. After punching tiny holes that would allow for a strap to be secured to the guitar, they went back inside to continue eating their pancakes.

Michael broke the silence a minute later. "Sorry I forgot to ask you earlier, but how was the wedding?"

"It was amazing," his mother replied, clasping her hands together. "The wedding was held in the ballroom of a fancy hotel downtown, and we all had a wonderful time. The food was excellent, and so was the music. They mostly played rock, some older metal, and a bit of country. And the best part was that there weren't any people who were totally drunk."

"I'm glad to hear you had a good time," Michael said, "but I want to know, what else are we going to do today between now and the party?"

"Well, we're going to do some shopping and other errands," Michael's father said as he began collecting everyone's plates from the table, "but you don't have to come if you don't want to. Take all the time you need to get ready for tonight." Michael nodded, and he finished eating a few moments later. He helped his father load the dishes into the dishwasher, and he put the leftover pancakes into a plastic container, which went into the fridge.

"We're leaving now," his mother called just as he began to walk down the basement stairs. Michael paused mid-step before walking back up the stairs to the foyer.

"Bye, son," his father said as he opened the front door, and a stream of cool air flowed into the house. "Have a good time at the party. I'm just letting you know that the temperature is a tad low today, so you might want to prepare for that when the time comes for you to leave. I can drop you off at Jason's place for 6:30 if you'd like."

"Thank you for the offer, Dad, but I can drive there myself," Michael said, giving his father a bear hug. He then hugged his mother, and the adults left the house, closing the door behind them. Michael waved at them through the window as they got into the car and drove away.

"Well, I guess it's time to prepare my costume," Michael muttered to himself, heading back downstairs to the utility room to search for the storage bin with the Halloween costumes. By the time he was done, he was dressed in an Iron Maiden T-shirt, and he wore a wig with long, curly black hair. He also wore black bracelets with Iron Maiden's logo on them. He ran back upstairs to grab his newly-made cardboard guitar, and after securing a fabric strap to it, he dashed into the nearest bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. "Whether I wore it before or not, this still looks pretty goddamn awesome. Up the irons."

* * *

Michael drove up to the Hill residence at exactly 6:30. It was a large, two-story house with a four-car garage, and the front yard was elaborately decorated with Jack-o-lanterns, gravestones, and spiderwebs. The sun was just starting to set, and it cast an orange glow over the surrounding area.

He parked his car on the driveway, and with Jason's birthday present tucked under his arm, he strolled towards the house. He could barely make out the silhouettes of people from behind the front door's frosted glass window, and after he rang the doorbell, one of the silhouettes suddenly ran towards the door. With a click, the door opened, and Jason was there to greet Michael. He was dressed up as Batman.

"Hey buddy, I'm so happy to see you!" Jason said, shaking Michael's hand. "And while I do see that you're wearing the same costume as last year, it still looks totally rad. Come in, come in!"

"Thank you!" Michael replied as he entered the house, and Jason closed the door behind him. "Oh, and happy birthday! Since you're sixteen, you can now legally drive!"

"I know!" Jason shouted enthusiastically, giving Michael a fist bump. "I finally get to drive my dad's Corvette! I'm so excited!" He looked at the box that his guest was holding beneath his arm. "Ah, and I see you brought a present. You may go downstairs to the basement and drop it off with the other presents in the rec room. Two of my friends are down there as well, if you want to meet them."

"Will do, Jason!" Michael responded, taking off his shoes before walking across the foyer. Just beyond it, there was a U-shaped staircase that provided access to the second floor. Directly underneath it, there was another U-shaped staircase that led to the basement, which Michael began to descend.

As soon as he reached the lower level, he spotted two teenagers sitting on a leather couch in the rec room, in front of an enormous TV. One was a girl with long, brown hair, and she wore a set of black robes, complete with a red-and-gold striped necktie. She held a long, wooden wand in her hand. The other was a boy with messy, dark-brown hair, and he also wore a set of robes with an identical necktie. On his face, he had a black pair of glasses with perfectly round lenses, and a little red lightning bolt was painted just above his right eye. He also held a wand in his hand. They were watching a movie and sharing a large bowl that contained a variety of potato chips.

"Hello!" the girl exclaimed as she saw Michael. "You must be Jason's friend, Michael. Am I correct?"

"I most certainly am," Michael replied as he placed the box containing Jason's present on the floor, along with eleven others. "I'm so happy to be here. What's your name?"

"My name is Tessa," the girl replied, "and I'm dressed up as Hermione Granger." She gestured towards the boy with her hand. "And this is Cody. I'm sure you can figure out who he's supposed to be."

"Of course I know," Michael said. "He's dressed up as Harry Potter." Cody smiled and gave him a thumbs-up in response.

"You may sit down if you wish to do so," Cody said as he pointed to an empty spot on the couch.

"Thank you," Michael said, and he took off his cardboard guitar and leaned it up against a nearby chair. He sat down on the couch and helped himself to some chips.

"So, how do you guys know Jason?" Michael inquired.

"We're with him in the school's wood shop," Tessa answered. "Cody and I made our wands by ourselves. If you aren't enrolled in woodworking, you should take it next year, because it's a lot of fun. Of course, you are working with power tools that could potentially be dangerous, but if you follow the safety guidelines, you'll do fine."

"That does sound interesting," Michael said, "but I'm taking metalworking this year. You get to learn how to weld, use plasma cutters, and you can create some really interesting projects. I'm not sure what I want to do for my first project yet, but the idea will come to me eventually."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps caught their attention, and Jason entered the room, taking his seat on the couch beside Michael.

"The birthday boy is back!" Cody exclaimed before throwing a potato chip directly at Jason's head. In the nick of time, Jason caught the chip in his mouth and ate it.

"I've only been gone for just over five minutes," Jason said, scowling. "Did I miss anything?"

"Not really," Cody responded. "We were just breaking the ice with your best friend."

Jason put his hands on his hips. "Well, shall we at least do something else? I mean, Michael's here now, so I think we should partake in an activity that is a little more engaging than watching a movie, like playing some games on the Wii. Are you good with that?"

"I am," Michael said with a smile. Tessa and Cody gave Jason a thumbs-up, and the teenagers played _Wii Sports_ for about an hour, competing to aim for the Pro ranking in both bowling and golf. In the end, Jason was the only one who got anywhere close to reaching the desired score.

"Of course it's the birthday boy who won," Cody said as he removed his Wii Remote from his wrist. "Good job, Jason, as well as Michael and Tessa."

"Thanks, Cody," Jason replied as he put his own Wii Remote away, and Michael and Tessa did the same. "So, shall we prepare to have dinner? I'll be ordering pizza, so what would you guys like to have? I'll show you the choices right here." Jason opened an application on his iPad Pro and a menu popped up with a list of different types of pizza, ranging from the typical mozzarella cheese and pepperoni toppings, to one topped with rhubarb, basil, and wild mushrooms. "Pick a pizza from the list. Any pizza you want."

"Pepperoni, please," Michael told Jason, who tapped the pepperoni pizza option to select it.

"Hawaiian," Tessa requested.

"Deluxe, too," Cody added.

Jason was the last one to pick a pizza, and he selected a cheeseburger pizza. After filling in the payment info, he tapped "Send".

"There," Jason said, putting the iPad down. "The pizza-delivery guy should be here within a half-hour."

A sudden knock startled everyone, and a woman with short, silver hair and green eyes walked down the stairs towards them. She was wearing a fancy red dress that was trimmed with lace.

"Jason, would you like us to do anything for dinner?" she asked.

"No, Mom, I've got it all taken care of," Jason answered. "I just ordered pizza less than a minute ago. We're ordering four boxes, so would you like us to come upstairs to have some with you guys, or should we just eat down here while you guys have something else?"

"Whatever you choose to do, sweetie," she said warmly. "It's your birthday, so you can do whatever you want." She hastily walked back upstairs and out of sight.

"I actually would like to have dinner with the adults as well, so that we can all eat together!" Jason shouted, hoping that she would be able to hear him. Motioning to his guests, he said, "Come on," and he led them upstairs to an elegant dining room. The room's centerpiece was a long, wooden table with twelve high-backed chairs around it. Despite the fact that the chairs were unoccupied, the table was already set, complete with plates, drinking glasses, an assortment of forks and knives, and napkins in each person's spot. Jason's father, a tall man with short, brown hair and green eyes, was standing by the table as he waited for them to enter. He wore a plain black T-shirt and blue jeans.

"Hello, Michael," he said with a warm smile. "I am so glad you came on this special day. We have homemade appetizers on the kitchen counter, so you guys won't have to go hungry while waiting for the pizza guy to arrive. My wife will gladly bring them out for you." He left the room via an open doorway which led to the kitchen.

"We'd appreciate that, please," Jason said loudly, and within seconds, his mother entered the room with a large tray of freshly-basked croissants, spring rolls, battered shrimp, and deep-fried pickles. She set the tray down in the center of the table, and the four teenagers took their seats. Out of those four seats, Jason took the leftmost one, Michael sat to his right, and Tessa sat to Michael's right. Lastly, Cody chose the rightmost seat.

"Dig in, everyone," Jason's mother said before she left the room. Within seconds, the teens began to help themselves to their share of appetizers.

"Wow, I've never had these before," Tessa said as she bit into a deep-fried pickle. "They're delicious!"

"My mom got the idea from a restaurant we visited a long time ago," Jason said proudly. "She graduated from college with a culinary arts diploma, so this is her specialty. She can cook up nearly anything you could want, and then some."

"That's amazing," Cody said just before he had a piece of shrimp, and he rubbed his belly afterward. "You've got one hell of a great mother. I'd do anything to have one like yours."

"What makes you say that?" Michael inquired, and Cody looked past Tessa to make eye contact with him.

"Well, my parents divorced a long time ago," Cody said, "and my mother just hasn't been the same person since then. She leaves me alone a lot of the time, and when we are in each other's presence, she tries to make any conversations between us as short as possible. Isolation is not a good way to live, especially when your mother almost wants to abandon you."

"Don't you see your father every once in a while?" Jason asked Cody, and he nodded ever so slightly.

"I do, but very rarely," Cody replied. "I'm talking once every two years, on average. He's the polar opposite of my mother. He has a fun and outgoing personality, and he likes to take me to concerts and amusement parks. Unfortunately, he lives too far away from where I attend school, so that's why I'm living with my mother."

"I see," Michael said quietly. "Well, I really hope that things will get better for you in the near future. Just tough it out, that's all I can say."

"Thank you so much for your kind words, Michael," Cody replied, and he took a croissant from the platter before dunking it into a bowl of spinach dip. "I'll remember that."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Jason quickly sprang up from his chair.

"I think the pizza's here!" he said excitedly, and he ran to the door before opening it. Sure enough, a white van with the words "CLAY OVEN PIZZERIA" on its side was parked on the driveway, and a young man stood on the doorstep. He wore a red baseball cap that had the company's logo embroidered on it, along with a matching red collared shirt that also featured the logo on the left side, and black pants which were held up by a belt.

"Good evening," the man greeted with a friendly smile. He was holding four pizza boxes in his hands, and they were neatly stacked on top of one another. "I believe you ordered pepperoni, Hawaiian, deluxe, and cheeseburger. Am I correct?"

"That's correct, sir. I'm glad you came," Jason said as the man handed the boxes to him. He used his pinky finger to hold onto the receipt. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," the man replied, and he began to walk back towards his van. "Have a great day!"

"You too!" Jason said loudly, and he watched the van drive away before closing the door with his elbow. He carried the pizza boxes into the dining room, and the delicious scent seemed to pervade the entire area. "The pizza's here, everyone!" he announced as he placed the boxes on a nearby shelf, lining them up in a row before opening each one. The adults walked into the room, and everyone helped themselves to their share of pizza.

After about an hour of conversation between everyone at the table, Jason's mother stood up from her chair, and she collected everyone's empty plates before taking them to the kitchen.

"Now, Jason," his father spoke, "I have a question for you. Would you like to have cake first, or do you want to open presents instead?"

"Well, we normally have cake first," Jason said, "so I think I'd like to change things up a little. I'll be opening the presents downstairs, just so that everyone knows."

He led everybody downstairs to the rec room, where a dozen presents were neatly arranged in a pile.

"Which one would you like to open first, honey?" Jason's mother asked her son, who pointed to a large box wrapped in bright-orange paper.

"I'll choose the one you gave me, Mom," Jason said, taking the present before sitting on the floor. He began to tear the wrapping paper apart with his hands.

"Yes, I've been wanting this for ages!" he exclaimed in delight as he looked at his unwrapped present. It was a white box containing a MacBook Pro. "Thank you so much, Mom!" He hugged his mother before setting the box aside.

Next, he opened a present from his father, and it was a Bluetooth stereo system.

"Thank you, Dad," Jason said, giving him a fist bump.

"My pleasure, son. Rock on."

After unwrapping more presents from his relatives, which included a new set of bedsheets, a Slayer T-shirt, and a PlayStation Vita, there were only three more left. They were from Michael, Tessa, and Cody.

"And now it's down to just my friends," Jason proudly announced as he grabbed a large, cylindrical object. "This one is from Cody."

"Go on, open it," Cody urged. Jason tore the wrapping paper to shreds, revealing an enormous container of popcorn. There were five different flavors: plain, cheddar, salt & vinegar, barbecue, and caramel.

"Thank you so much, pal," Jason said, giving Cody a high-five.

"Anytime," Cody replied. "We could all share some of it tonight if you wish!"

"That would be great!" Jason told Cody. "However, I still have two more presents here. Tessa, I'll open yours next." He reached for a small box wrapped in red paper, and inside it was a necklace with a perfect replica of a Golden Snitch.

"Well, I guess being a Seeker is out of the question now," Jason joked as he put it around his neck and fastened the clasp. "Why bother playing Quidditch when I can have the Snitch with me at all times? Thank you, Tessa." He gave her a hug before finally turning to look at his best friend.

"Saving mine for last, hm?" Michael asked as he gingerly handed the final present over to Jason. He looked at the wrapping paper that Michael chose.

"Nice wrapping paper, buddy," Jason said just before he began to tear it to ribbons, like he did with everyone else's. "Oh, look everyone, I got a shoebox! That's the best present ever! Thank you so much, Michael."

"Very funny," Tessa said with just a hint of sarcasm. "There _must_ be something inside it."

Jason glared at her. "I was joking! Do you seriously think my best friend would just give me an empty shoebox for my birthday? I think not!"

The anticipation was growing within Michael as Jason lifted the lid off the shoebox, revealing the wooden box that was safely stored inside. As Jason placed it onto a nearby table, everyone's expression turned to that of either wonder or amazement.

"Jumanji," Jason said aloud as he examined the elaborate design on the box's lid. "This must have been really expensive. Wonderful craftsmanship here. What exactly is it, buddy?"

"Some sort of board game," Michael told him.

"Okay everyone," Jason suddenly spoke up, "forget about setting up my MacBook or playing multiplayer games on the Wii. No offense, but I really want to see what this game is all about. I normally don't care for board games, but my best friend bought this for me, and I'm sure he paid a lot of money for it, so I'm going to play it with him and my other friends. Uhh, speaking of which, how do we play?"

"I'm sure there's instructions inside," Cody said, watching as Jason unfolded each lid, revealing the playing board for all to see. The very sight of it drew oohs and aahs from everyone except for Michael. Jason examined the exquisite craftsmanship and artistry that must have went into designing the game's playing surface, and he saw his own face staring back at him in the black crystal orb.

Jason then noticed the text on one of the lids, and he read it aloud:

 _"Jumanji: a game for those who seek to find_

 _a way to leave their world behind._

 _You roll the dice to move your token,_

 _Doubles gets another turn,_

 _and the first player to reach the end wins."_

He then turned the game around to read the text on the opposite lid:

 _"Adventurers beware: Do not begin unless you intend to finish._

 _The exciting consequences of the game will vanish only when a player has reached Jumanji and called out its name._ Sounds rather foreboding, but no less so than any of my video games. I actually think we'll have a lot of fun with this." Jason closed the box and held it under his arm as he stood back up.

"Where are you going?" Michael asked.

"To play the game with you guys, of course," Jason answered as he opened a nearby door that led into a guest bedroom. "Come on, follow me!"

"You're sure you don't want to play it out here with us, Jason?" his father asked him before they entered the bedroom. "I'm kind of curious to see how it works."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Jason told him. "We're only two years away from becoming full-grown adults. We'll play in solitude so that you guys can have your fun."

His father sighed. "All right, then. Enjoy your game." The teens stood still and watched as he led the adults back upstairs.

"He shouldn't have to worry," Jason reassured his friends as they walked inside the guest bedroom, which featured a king-size bed and a wooden table with four chairs around it. The table was positioned right beside a large window that provided everyone with a great view of the backyard. Jason quietly closed the door once everyone was inside. "We'll just play a round or two, have cake, and then play some more until we finish."

"Is the cake homemade, too?" Cody asked.

"Of course it is," Jason replied as he set the game onto the table, opening the lids. "I actually made it along with my mother, and I'm very proud with how it turned out." As he spoke, he opened a compartment on the right flap, and he dug out four tokens. Like the game board itself, the tokens were carved in great detail, and they came in the shape of a monkey, a rhino, a crocodile, and an elephant.

"Well, these are some pretty nice-looking tokens," Jason commented. "I'll pass them around now."

Michael received the monkey token, Tessa received the crocodile, and Cody received the elephant. Jason kept the rhino token for himself.

Suddenly, the tokens flew out of their hands, and they each skidded towards a corner of the board. Everyone's jaws dropped in amazement as the tokens stood upright, all by themselves.

"Is this board magnetized or something?" Cody wondered as Jason reached across the board to open the compartment on the left flap, pulling out a pair of aged dice.

"Michael, you get the first roll," Jason said to him as he placed the dice in his hand. Michael shook the dice for a couple of seconds before dropping them onto the board, and they landed on a one and a two.

"Three," Michael called out. He was about to grab his token, but he paused when it silently slid three spaces, all on its own. "Okay, whose turn is it now?" he asked as he prepared to hand the dice to the next player.

"Wait," Jason said, pointing to the crystal orb in the center of the board. It was beginning to fill up with green mist. "Look here, everyone! The crystal is doing something." Everyone leaned in to take a closer look, and they watched in awe as yellow smoke began to swirl around, and it formed words that spelt out a riddle. "Read it, Mike." Michael read the text aloud...

 _"Stripes of yellow and black they bring,_

 _Best beware their fearsome sting."_

 **Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Judging by the riddle, what do you think will come out of the game? Stay tuned to find out! :D**


	3. The First Few Turns

Chapter 3 - The First Few Turns

 **Author's note: Hey everyone! I'm back with the third chapter of the story, and now the action shall begin! First, as always, I'll respond to your reviews.**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993, Van Pelt won't appear in this chapter, but he will in the next one! The idea of Van Pelt winning a costume contest is a great idea, and I'll make sure to include it later!**

 **Guest, sorry if I made you hungry! I was just doing what I can to develop the story and make it more realistic and believable. ;)**

 **dragonserpent18, are you scared of wasps? If so, don't worry. I used to be terrified of them ever since I was stung by one at the age of seven. It stung me right on my ear, and it hurt like mad. Now, however, that phobia is pretty much gone, and I have since developed a healthy level of respect for them. What's weird is other venomous creatures such as spiders, centipedes, and ants have never scared me a single bit. My dad is terrified (and I mean TERRIFIED) of spiders, so he always puts me in charge whenever he wants a spider to be gone from the house!**

 **Guest, I'm glad you caught that! It was my intention for Jason to make that ironic statement. Now, on with the story!**

As soon as Michael finished reciting the game's first riddle, a swarm of vicious wasps suddenly flew out of the ceiling vent. Everyone ducked for cover as the insects flew all around in each and every direction, until Cody suddenly stood up with his wand pointed outward.

"Reducto!" he cried, but nothing happened. Instead, he began to annoy the little creatures, and one of them stung him on his left ear, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Cody, this game has nothing to do with Harry Potter!" Michael told him as a few began crawling on his face. "Snap out of it, stay still, and they won't sting you!"

"I'm calm," Cody said quickly, and he dropped his wand onto the floor. "I'm cal—YEOW!" Another wasp suddenly stung him on the forehead, causing the area to become just as red as his lightning-bolt scar.

"Clearly, you're not calm!" Tessa shouted as she walked up to the window. "Look at Michael and Jason! Use them as an example!" Cody looked at the other two boys, who slowly and calmly stood up. The wasps paid little attention to either of them, and they continued to attack Cody instead.

"HEEEEELP MEEEE!" Cody screamed as he received a sting on his right cheek.

"Too bad Alohomora doesn't work on these things," Tessa grumbled as she began to fiddle with the window's latch. After a few seconds, she finally unlocked the window and the wasps quickly flew out of the room.

"Quick, close it before they decide to come back!" Jason told her, and she slammed the window shut. He then walked up to Cody, whose face was covered with little red spots where the wasps had stung him. "Oh, dear, this looks pretty bad. I'll be right back." He ran into the bathroom to grab some supplies.

Seconds later, Jason returned with a roll of paper towel and a cup of vinegar. He ripped off a large piece of paper towel, dunked it into the vinegar, and began to dab the spots where Cody was stung. Instantly, Cody let out a sigh of relief.

"Feeling better, Cody?" Jason asked, and Cody nodded in response.

"Why are you using vinegar to treat him?" Tessa inquired.

"Don't you remember what you learned in science?" Jason asked her as he continued to dab Cody's face with the vinegar-soaked paper towel. "Wasp venom is a base, and vinegar is an acid, so it neutralizes the venom. I have to do this quickly before the venom has time to sink in."

"I'm not sure if I remember that," she responded as Jason quickly dabbed the last spot. "I guess I was too busy with—"

"Don't make excuses," Cody said. "Okay, I feel much better now. Whose turn is it?"

"I believe it's my turn now," Jason replied, and they all sat down at the table. He took the dice and rolled a four and a one. Jason's rhino token moved five spaces, and another riddle appeared from inside the crystal orb.

 _"This will not be an easy mission,_

 _Monkeys slow the expedition."_

Michael heard the sound of glass shattering from upstairs, followed by panicked screams, along with the unmistakable shrieking of monkeys.

"What the hell is going on?" Cody asked.

"Shit!" Jason shouted. "It sounds like the monkeys are invading the kitchen! Come on!" He bolted across the rec room, and the other three teens followed him closely from behind. They scrambled up the stairs, but their forward progress was suddenly halted as all of the adults stampeded down the hallway towards the front door, and a dozen brown-furred monkeys were hot on their heels. Jason's father frantically opened the door, and he was screaming like a schoolgirl as the monkeys chased the terrified adults out of the house and down the street.

"Well, that was a close call," Cody said, sighing in relief once he saw that the coast was clear. He ran towards the front door, which was still wide open, and he closed it before returning to the group. "I guess that means we're the only people here now."

"I don't know," Jason said nervously. "I can still hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Let's go."

Jason led them down the hallway towards the back of the house, where the kitchen was. When Jason threw open the door, he could not believe his eyes.

The entire kitchen was overran by twelve more monkeys that apparently chose to remain in the house. Knives, forks, spoons, bowls, and plates were being tossed around like toys. One of the monkeys was stealing food from the fridge, another one was taking a bath in the sink, and yet another one saw absolutely no harm in raiding the china cabinet, sending dozens of fragile mugs and plates crashing down onto the floor.

"I can't believe this is happening," Jason said quietly as he watched the scene unfold before him. Suddenly, he noticed that the large, glass tray containing his birthday cake was still on the counter, and four of the mischievous primates were heading straight for it.

"Oh, no you don't!" he screamed as he bravely ran towards the counter with his arms outstretched, but before he could get to it, the monkeys snickered at him, and they pushed the tray right off the counter, sending shards of glass and pieces of birthday cake all over the floor. Jason ran back towards his friends, who were staring in shock at what had just happened.

"Look out, everyone!" Michael suddenly yelled as he watched a monkey open a drawer, which contained four razor-sharp knives. The monkey looked directly at him with a sinister grin as it grabbed the knives by their handles. "They found the really sharp knives! RUN!"

Jason slammed the door shut just as the monkey hurled the knives across the kitchen, and their blades pierced right through the door, sticking out of it like deadly spikes.

"Well, we barely escaped serious injury there," Michael said, sighing in relief once he saw that everyone was okay.

"Yeah, but my birthday cake has been destroyed," Jason lamented.

"The birthday cake should be the least of your worries now," Cody said arrogantly as they ran back downstairs to continue playing the game. "Who knows what could come out next? It could be literally anything as far as I'm concerned."

"Wait," Tessa said, pointing to the instructions again once they sat back down. "It says that once we finish the game, the consequences will vanish. We just have to keep playing, and roll with the punches. Plus, it's my turn now."

Tessa grabbed the dice in her hand, and after she rolled, they landed on three and two. Her crocodile token moved five spaces, and the orb displayed yet another cryptic sentence.

 _"In the jungle you must wait,_

 _Until the dice read five or eight."_

"What could that mean?" Jason wondered. "Well, at least we now know what to do if something bad happens; roll either a five or an eight."

Cody suddenly let out a blood-curdling scream. "Tessa! TESSA! YOUR HANDS!"

Everyone watched in horror as Tessa's hands began to vaporize in front of her. A few seconds later, she screamed as her arms began to stretch out towards the center of the board, and her body followed, turning the terrified brunette into a thin ribbon. Eventually, her body began to disintegrate as if it were made of sand, and she began to swirl around and around as a vortex sucked her towards the crystal orb. Cody reached his arms into the vortex in an attempt to free Tessa from her impending fate, but it was all to no avail. Finally, she was gone, having completely vanished inside the game.

"No, Tessa!" Cody shouted. "We must bring her back as soon as possible, because we don't know what else could be inside that game!"

"It's your turn, Cody!" Michael urged. "You can bring Tessa back if you roll a five or an eight!"

"I can't believe it," Cody whispered, still in shock about what happened to his friend. "She's gone. Tessa's gone!"

"Please," Jason calmly told him, "just roll. It's for her sake." Cody hesitantly picked up the dice, and he shook them in his hand for much longer than necessary before finally rolling a one and a two.

"I'm sorry, Tessa," he mumbled, sighing as his elephant token began to move three spaces, and everyone leaned towards the crystal orb as he read the next riddle...

 _"They grow much faster than bamboo,_

 _Take care or they'll come after you."_

"That should be an easy one to guess," Michael retorted as large cracks suddenly began to appear in the walls. Hundreds of green vines began to grow from within the cracks, and they slithered into the room, growing larger and larger at an astonishing rate. Leaves sprouted from the largest vines while others began to creep along the floor, and Michael, Jason, and Cody had to lift their feet off the ground as the vines continued to grow, slithering under and around the table. Within seconds, the three teenagers were surrounded by vines, and the room began to look like the inside of a jungle. The boys watched as a purple flower began to bloom from one of the vines, and it shot purple barbs that missed Cody's head by less than an inch. They flew past him and embedded themselves into the wall.

"What the hell are those things?" Cody asked, staring at the barbed projectiles. He pulled one out of the wall, and a thick, clear liquid was oozing from it. He dropped it before the liquid had a chance to come into contact with his skin. "Guys, I think these barbs are poisonous. If you see a purple flower aiming itself at you, run immediately!"

"Do you have an axe, Jason?" Michael asked, even though he was certain the answer would be no. Sure enough, Jason shook his head in response.

"Well, we can't stay here forever," Cody told them. "This place is starting to become very dangerous. We should really get out of here." He put the dice back into their compartment and shut the lids, and he began to lead the others out of the room, with the game tucked under his arm.

Michael was at the back of the group, and just as Cody began to open the door, Michael let out a terrified scream. Jason heard a dull thud from behind, and he whipped his head around.

"No! Michael!" Jason yelled once he saw what happened to his best friend. A vine had tightly coiled itself around Michael's left ankle, and he was screaming and writhing as it began to drag him across the floor.

"Just hang tight, buddy!" Jason said as he ran towards Michael, grabbed onto his arms, and pulled as hard as he could. Even when using all of his strength, the vine was still pulling Michael backwards. "Cody! Help us, please!"

Cody put the game onto a nearby dresser and ran over to Michael. He grabbed onto Michael's arms along with Jason, pulling on them with all of his might. The powerful vine was still winning in this terrifying game of tug-of-war, and the situation became much worse as an enormous pod broke through the wall. It had four, bright-yellow petals that were reminiscent of insect mandibles, and the vine kept pulling Michael towards its thorn-covered mouth. Michael screamed in terror as the carnivorous plant spread its jaws wide open and roared loudly.

"I'll be right back!" Jason said, letting go of Michael. "Keep holding his arms, Cody!"

"Where the hell are you going?" Cody growled. "This plant is about to make a meal out of your best friend!"

"I've got a plan, don't worry!" Jason ran into the closet, rummaged through some plastic containers, and pulled out a katana. He unsheathed it and ran back towards Michael, whose ankle was now less than a foot away from the pod's deadly jaws.

"Hiyah!" he yelled as he raised the katana high above his head before swinging its razor-sharp blade towards the floor, aiming directly between Michael's foot and the pod's mouth. With a loud squelch, the katana sliced cleanly through the vine, releasing Michael from its grasp. The pod made a whimpering sound and retreated back into the wall, which now had a gaping hole left from when the plant first broke through.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked Michael as he unraveled the vine from around his ankle. Michael responded by whimpering like a scared puppy. "Hey, buddy, it's all right, okay? You're safe now." Jason gave Michael a hug, and he helped him to stand upright. "Let's go back upstairs. We're going to finish this game sooner than you think, trust me."

 **Author's note: I apologize that this chapter was much shorter than the previous two, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Please feel free to review, and, as always, stay tuned for more! :)**


	4. The Hunter

Chapter 4 - The Hunter

 **Author's note: Hi everyone, I'm back with the fourth chapter. To be truthful, this is the one I've been looking forward to writing the most, and you'll find out why as you read it. Anyway, on to your reviews:**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993, you'll get the answer to both of your questions soon!**

 **Sonny April, thanks for providing your feedback! I have a strange habit of talking to myself for some reason (don't ask me why), so that could be the reason why Michael was doing that in my story. I know that I can sometimes go into too much detail while writing, and to be honest, it's a problem that I've been struggling with since I was a kid. I am trying my very best to write more concisely, but sometimes it's a tad difficult for me to do so. I hope you understand. On another note, I'm glad you enjoyed the pawn shop scene. With that aside, on with the story!**

"This sure is turning out to be one hell of a birthday," Jason muttered as he led Michael and Cody across the vine-filled rec room towards the stairs. They closely followed Jason from behind, and they constantly watched their steps so that they wouldn't fall victim to any more carnivorous pods. A few more purple flowers began to bloom, and the group warily stepped past them, keeping a close eye on the flowers' movements.

"I'm sorry that I dragged you guys into this," Michael apologized. "I heard the game's drumbeats and my curiosity took over. I didn't know that there would be so many dangerous jungle creatures hidden inside."

"C'mon, Mike, cheer up!" Jason told him. "Yes, this definitely wasn't what I was expecting. I know that my family is in grave danger, and I'm well aware that the basement is now in complete shambles, but the consequences will all go away once the game is over. Just act like the young man you are, okay?"

Michael sighed. "Okay, if you say so. I'm getting nervous, though, because it's my turn now."

"Just think of it as another adventure, another surprise, and another discovery," Jason said with a smile as they walked back up the stairs, which were free of vines, much to everyone's relief. "You like it when you run into new enemies in your video games, right? It's the same thing, but in real life."

The trio arrived on the main floor once again, and Jason led them down the hallway towards a pair of sliding, frosted glass doors.

"Let's continue playing the game in the study," he said as he slid one of the doors to the side. Inside the study, there were two bookshelves with hundreds of books, a computer desk that was home to an elaborate gaming rig, a coffee table with four leather armchairs positioned around it, and a pair of double doors that led outside to the deck.

Jason placed the game onto the coffee table, and everyone made themselves comfortable as they sat down.

"Buddy," Jason said as he handed the dice to Michael, "it's your turn. You can do this."

Michael took a deep breath, shook the dice in his hand, and rolled a four and a two. His token slid six spaces along the board, and another riddle began to form within the crystal orb. His voice trembled as he read it out loud.

 _"A hunter_ _from the darkest wild,_

 _Makes you feel just like a child."_

Michael, Jason, and Cody looked at each other with nervous expressions on their faces, and then...

BOOM! A deafening gunshot broke the silence, and a tall man opened the door that led into the study from outside. He wore a black shirt with a red necktie, along with khakis, leather boots, a pith helmet, and a black cape. His long, blond hair stuck out from underneath the pith helmet, and it matched his thick mustache that stretched across his upper lip. He was holding an elephant gun from the early 1900's in his hands, and he pointed it straight at Michael, who quickly bolted out of the room.

"Nobody runs from Van Pelt and lives, you coward!" the man shouted as he began to chase Michael down the hallway. "Come back here and face me like a man!"

Michael continued to run towards the front door, fueled by adrenaline and sheer terror as Van Pelt cocked his rifle and fired another bullet in his direction. With nowhere else to go, he threw open the door and ran outside.

"Run all you want, Sonny-Jim!" Van Pelt yelled as he shot another round through the open doorway. "I'm coming for you, ready or not!"

Outside, Michael continued to sprint down the street with Van Pelt in hot pursuit. The big-game hunter relentlessly fired his gun at Michael, barely missing him each time before reloading mid-step. Suddenly, Van Pelt heard the sound of a roaring engine, and he was violently knocked down towards the pavement as something hit him from behind. His gun clattered to the ground. Michael turned around to see who had rendered his enemy unconscious, and he smiled as Jason grinned at him through the windshield of his father's Corvette. He opened the passenger door for Michael, who quickly climbed inside and buckled up.

"Whew, that could have been just a tad worse," Jason said as he shifted the car into reverse and floored the accelerator. Van Pelt was lying face-down in the middle of the road, completely unable to move a muscle. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Michael said while trying to catch his breath. "Thank you for rescuing me from Dan Belt, or whatever his name was."

"Hey, anytime," Jason said, patting his best friend on the shoulder. "I can assure you that he's unconscious, at least for now."

"For now, yeah," Michael replied gloomily. "I'm sure he'll come back sooner or later to finish me off for good, though."

"Please, Mike, stop being such a pessimist!" Jason exclaimed as they returned to his family's residence. He quickly backed the car into the driveway and turned off the engine. "Keep your spirits up, because that's how we will win. Wish me luck on my next roll, will you?" Michael nodded, and they walked back inside to continue the game.

 **Author's note: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! I know that it was very short, but the next one will be longer. What do you think Jason's next roll will summon? Stay tuned to find out! :)**


	5. A Timely Reunion

Chapter 5 - A Timely Reunion

 **Author's note: Hi everyone, I'm back with the fifth chapter of my Jumanji fic! Sorry about the long wait. I was very busy over the past week with work and other obligations, and when I did have the time to write, I had to rewrite this chapter twice as I was not satisfied with how it initially turned out. Now, it's response time!**

 **JOHNHAMMOND1993, while Van Pelt has been knocked out, he's probably immortal as far as I'm concerned. In the movie, a whole shelf full of paint cans fell on top of him in the department store. That would have seriously injured, if not killed, a normal human being.**

 **Sonny April, you don't need to apologize for the criticism. I understand that you're trying to help me become a better writer, and I applaud you for that. As I said, I've been trying to refine my skills for quite a long time, and it's just a sign that I'm not quite there yet. Therefore, your constructive criticism is much appreciated. And in regards to your review of the previous chapter, do you seriously think I'll only reuse the hazards from the movie? That would be boring now, wouldn't it? ;) Now, on with the story!**

"Did I miss anything while you were gone?" Cody asked as Michael and Jason met up with him in the study. He had already sat back down in his chair, observing where everyone's tokens were positioned on the board. "That Van Pelt guy sure looked menacing."

"He seems to be after me," Michael said, "and only me. I think it's because I'm the one who rolled the dice, so he automatically goes after whoever summons him first. Speaking of which, Jason, it's your turn now."

Michael and Jason both sat down at the table, and Jason clutched the dice in his fist. _Please roll a five or eight_ , he thought. He finally decided to roll, and the dice landed on a four and a one.

"Thank you," he said aloud as his token moved five spaces. "Hopefully this means that our missing friend will return, because we'll need her in order to make any further progress." A few seconds later, the crystal orb displayed yet another riddle.

 _"His fangs are sharp, he likes your taste;_

 _Your party better move poste haste."_

Just then, a low, rumbling growl was heard from behind, and the three boys slowly turned around to witness their latest threat. Michael barely managed to suppress a gasp as he saw an enormous lion standing right in front of him. The lion's nose was twitching, almost as if he could smell the fear within Michael.

"Whatever you do, guys," Cody whispered, "don't make any sudden moves. Let's just back away very slowly."

Suddenly, a female voice rang throughout the house, causing Jason to whip his head around. The lion roared loudly and began to charge at everyone.

"RUN!" Jason screamed, and they bolted out of the study. The lion chased them all around the house, leaping across tables and over couches in a single bound. The trio ran towards the kitchen, and the big cat stopped in his tracks as Tessa dashed in front of him, waving her arms while shouting at the lion as loud as she could. She held a small, rusted knife in her right hand. Her robes were tattered, and her hair was a mess, but she appeared fine otherwise.

"Hey, Tessa's back!" Jason whispered to Cody. "It was all thanks to me."

"She's backing up towards the kitchen!" Cody hissed in Jason's ear. "Open the door!"

Jason got down on all fours to avoid distracting the lion from Tessa, and he silently turned the handle before pushing the door open. Tessa continued to yell and point the knife at the lion as she backed up, making herself look as big and menacing as possible. As soon as she reached the open doorway to the kitchen, she plunged the knife into the floor. The lion pounced, and with a ground-shaking roar, he leapt forward into the air. Just before he could grab Tessa by the throat with his powerful jaws, she crouched down to the ground. The lion leapt right over her and into the kitchen, which was now devoid of monkeys, and Tessa slammed the door shut, pushing on it to make sure it was closed tight.

"Whew, that was close," Tessa said, breathing a sigh of relief. She yanked the knife out of the floor, which now had a deep slit cut into it.

"You're back!" Cody rejoiced, running up to her. "Wait, what happened to you? You look like you had a rough time when you were gone."

"I was trapped inside a treacherous jungle until someone rolled a five or eight," Tessa explained while fixing her hair. "There are so many dangerous beasts in there that it's a miracle I never suffered any injuries."

"I did it," Jason told her. "I rolled a five, and that freed you from the jungle."

"Thank you, Jason," Tessa said with a friendly smile.

"Did you run into Van Pelt?" Michael asked her. She cocked her head to one side in confusion.

"Who's Van Pelt?" Tessa wondered.

"He's a big-game hunter with an elephant gun," Jason answered, "and Michael's roll brought him into our world. He's really dangerous, but it seems he's after Michael, and only him."

"Well, thanks for the info," Tessa replied. "I'll make sure to keep an eye out for him, along with you guys."

"Thank you, Tessa," Michael said as the group walked back towards the study. "By the way, it's your turn."

When everyone sat down, Tessa grabbed the dice in her hand, and after she rolled, they both landed on one.

"Ooh! You rolled doubles!" Jason told her. "That means you'll get another turn, but I think you must wait until after you've dealt with the next calamity."

Tessa's token moved two spaces, and everyone leaned in to read the next hint.

 _"They march and eat, and march and eat,_

 _If I were you, I'd watch my feet."_

"This can't be good," Cody muttered.

"I'd watch my feet..." Jason said, putting a finger to his lips. "Sounds like—OW!" He jumped out of his seat as something bit him, and he looked down to see a large, black arthropod crawling up his leg. "It's an ant, and it's freaking huge!"

"Look out!" Michael warned as an army that consisted of hundreds of ants began to march into the room. They were at least an inch in length, and their large heads bore a menacing pair of pincers. They also had a stinger on the opposite end of their segmented bodies. With nowhere else to go, Jason grabbed the game, and the four teens climbed onto the table as the ants began to surround it.

"Everyone, on the count of three, we'll jump," Jason told the others.

"That seems kind of reckless," Tessa spoke. "If we jump, we could hurt ourselves on the floor if we land the wrong way."

"It's the only way to bypass the ants, though, so we're doing it," Jason told her. "On the count of three, we'll jump, one at a time. One...two... _three!_ "

Jason leapt off the table like a kangaroo, and he managed to safely clear the horde of ants. Michael and Tessa took their leaps of faith, and Cody, being the last to jump, barely avoided an ant who had its stinger pointed upwards. Jason closed the door once everyone made it out of the study. He pushed a heavy chest against it to block the ants from escaping underneath the door.

Without saying another word, Jason quickly led the others up the stairs to the second floor. There was a large, open area at the top of the stairs, and he placed the game onto the floor before dashing into a nearby closet. He pulled out four beanbag chairs, and they sat around the board once again.

"Is everyone okay?" Cody asked them as they examined their bodies for any wounds.

"Other than that one bite on my leg, I'm fine," Jason replied. Michael and Tessa both nodded to confirm that they did not receive any bites or stings. "It must have been the ant's way of wishing me a happy birthday." Everyone chuckled at his subtle joke. "On a more serious note, it could have been a lot worse. I'm just glad no one else was hurt."

"Hey Cody, you're up," Tessa said, pointing at the dice.

"No!" Cody exclaimed, pushing her hand away. "You rolled doubles. You get another turn." Tessa grabbed the dice again, and she rolled a two and a one. Her token moved three more spaces, and another riddle appeared within the crystal orb.

 _"Their boisterous laughing does provoke,_

 _In this adventure, they tell no joke."_

An eerie chorus of laughter suddenly rang throughout the house, and the four teens frantically looked around, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. The laughter was also accompanied by deep growls and high-pitched yelps.

"Stay here, everyone," Jason commanded. "I'm going to check this out myself."

"No, Jason!" Michael yelled, dashing in front of the stairs in an attempt to stop Jason, but he simply ducked under Michael's outstretched arms and crept downstairs, one step at a time. Michael, Tessa, and Cody nervously watched him as three creatures came into view from below. They looked somewhat like dogs, except for their large, rounded ears. Their fur was golden with dozens of black spots.

"Oh, no," Cody said quietly, just loud enough for Jason to hear him from below. "They're spotted hyenas!"

Fear coursed through Jason's body as he sprinted towards the kitchen. The hyenas began to chase after him, with their jaws snapping viciously. Suddenly, a trio of loud gunshots rang throughout the house, and all three hyenas fell to the ground, dead.

Michael, Tessa, and Cody ran downstairs to see what the commotion was all about, and Tessa screamed as she saw the three dead hyenas at the end of the hallway, lying in a pool of blood. Jason was standing just in front of the kitchen door, shaking in fear as he gazed at the other end of the hallway, where the front door was. Michael peeked around the wall to see who had indirectly saved his best friend's life, only to hear the sound of a gun being reloaded.

"Ah, now I've got you right where I want you," Van Pelt said in a sinister tone, aiming his rifle as he slowly walked towards Michael.

 **Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. What do you think might happen next? Also, what do you think should come out of the game during the next few turns? Feel free to give me some ideas, and as always, stay tuned for the next chapter! :)**


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